Your article on the high level of exclusion for special needs pupils is very important (February 4). These are some of the most vulnerable children in our society who are being let down by the education system.

Your article on the high level of exclusion for special needs pupils is very important (February 4). These are some of the most vulnerable children in our society who are being let down by the education system.

It is important to recognise the great benefit many children get from attending their local mainstream school. One mother of a seven-year-old said recently that the child's primary school worked hard at integrating her and developing the social and life skills that she needed and this had made all the difference.

These benefits continue throughout all the years of children's education and any moves to change the current policy on developing mainstream education for all our children would be a backward step.

Some local authorities, such as East Lothian and Highland councils, have no special schools at all, provide special units and resources inside primary and secondary schools to give children the support they need, and still manage lower than average rates of exclusions.

There is evidence that exclusion particularly targets young people with an autistic spectrum disorder, nearly one in five will be excluded at some point. Autism is a communication disorder and people have challenges responding in the ways that others would expect, often taking things literally. Lack of responsiveness and disobedience may simply be a failure to understand.

Much more training is required for all those working in the education system about autism and other special needs. In some schools, fewer than one in eight teachers receives any training in autism and often this may be as little as four hours.

What we all need is the right school for every child - a properly resourced school with adequately trained staff.

Ian Hood, Coordinator, Learning Disability Alliance Scotland, 57 Albion Road, Edinburgh.